When the Bullshit Hits: A Self-Regulation Checklist

A step-by-step checklist for when things feel like too much. Go through it in order — like running a pre-trip inspection before you hit the road.

STEP 1 — Check the Basics

☐ Have I eaten something?
☐ Have I had enough water?
☐ Have I slept?
☐ Have I showered / taken care of myself?
☐ Do I need to use the bathroom?
☐ Too much caffeine today?

You can't troubleshoot on an empty tank. Fix the basics first.

STEP 2 — Find It in Your Body

☐ Where am I feeling this? (Chest? Stomach? Throat?)
☐ Am I thinking about it — or actually feeling it? can i get curious about the feeling?
☐ Am I in the past, the future, or right now?

Thinking = subtle fuel on the fire. Feeling = putting it out faster. Get into your body, not your head.

STEP 3 — Sit With It

☐ Get curious — don't fight it, don't fix it, just notice it
☐ Ask: "What is this feeling trying to tell me?"… be curious!
☐ Sit with it for even 30 seconds
☐ Let it go big — then watch it settle

You don't avoid a problem — you look at it. Same thing here.

STEP 4 — The Control Question

☐ Can I actually control this?
☐ If YES → what's one small thing I can do right now?
☐ If NO → acknowledge it, feel it, and set it down. It's not yours to carry.

Not everything on the road is your problem to fix.

STEP 5 — Move Your Body

☐ Do I need to get up and move?
☐ Is my body saying "stay down"? → Do the opposite. Get up.
☐ Can I do something that puts me back in my routine?

A body in motion stays in motion.

STEP 6 — Whose Voice Is That?

☐ Is the doubt/pain/guilt I'm feeling actually my voice — or someone else's?
☐ What would the most confident version of me do here?
☐ Write it down if it helps. Even one word.

You know more than you think you do.

STEP 7 — Come Back to Yourself

• ☐ I don't need to solve everything today

• ☐ I'm allowed to feel this without it meaning something is wrong with me

• ☐ I showed up. I'm doing the work. That's enough for right now.